12 Ideas For Bringing The Outside In That Younger Kids Will Love

In such uncertain times we have all been doing our part to help in the lockdown by spending the majority of our days indoors in self isolation. Yet with the weather outside improving and the Easter period now in full swing, the desire to head outside as a family to let our little ones play and their imaginations run wild is becoming ever so more appealing and definitely harder to ignore. Those with little or no outside space will be finding these restrictions with the requirement of once a day outdoor exercising especially more difficult than most.

However, this is the time to get creative as there are plenty of fun ways and indoor adventures to be had for your younger ones and family to enjoy each day by bringing the outside in. With school being closed, there is certainly no shortage of fun indoor activities and ideas that will keep your kids busy around the house rain or shine. Take a read below to discover all the activities for kids we recommend to bring the outside inside and keep your little explorers excited, active and stimulated from the comfort of your own home.

You may have noticed on your daily walks and whilst browsing online that many rainbows have been appearing in different places. Rainbows are all the more popular at the moment, and for a very important reason. During these testing times, the rainbow has become a symbol for hope, and with us all living in lockdown, it is an amazing way to spread the message to others that we must stick together through this struggle. Getting your kids to make and create their own rainbows to pin up around the house and on the windows for passers by to spot on their walks is a wholesome way to get creative, spend time as a family and show your support. Filling your living space with all the positive energy of a sunny day with joyful colours is a fun added bonus.

Find different rainbow art and craft ideas here.

Keeping with the theme of getting your kid's creativity flowing, grabbing a piece of chalk and drawing on the floor of your balcony is a great indoor activity for your children to let their imagination run loose if you're lacking outdoor space. You could also use this to make a game that your kids would be more used to playing in the park or playground such as drawing out hopscotch squares or Snakes and Ladders, a fun way to get the whole family in a playful competitive spirit. Make sure to try out different colours to have even more fun in games.

Inject some more colourful fun into your living spaces by trying out window art. Encourage your children to release their creative sides and decorate the windows with whatever takes their imagination. You could even try making one of the rainbows on the window in support of the NHS. Or if your kids are feeling particularly adventurous, they could create their own outside worlds in the living room by drawing jungle or woodland scenery on the windows, a much fun way to let your little explorers play freely as if they were outdoors. You can buy window paint and window pen markers online, or could use many art and craft materials like paper, cardboard and tissue paper for a less permanent result. Just see what your little creatives come up with and you may even decide to keep their creations as a permanent feature.

To achieve a really immersive and sensory experience of bringing the outdoors inside, you could always have a go at turning one of your rooms into a garden. House plants, succulents and flowers are all things you could bring in to temporarily transform your indoor space into a botanical haven. Artificial grass is also a great way to make a real impact and add some soft surfaces for more indoor games. With this comes amazingly fun indoor activities for kids to get their green fingers active and in play. Planting flowers, plant pot decorating, vegetable growing and watering plants are all a great way to get your kids in touch with the great outdoors and learning about all the ways that a garden needs to be cared for.

To add some outside life inside which perhaps can be a little more permanent than an indoor garden, making a tiny plant world in a terrarium with your kids is a fun way you can engage their creative spirits whilst teaching them about how to look after plants. This can be done for free by using any large glass containers or bowls you may have around the house, and potting your rocks, flowers and mini plants inside. You can make them Easter themed by placing your kids favourite Easter friends and characters to sit among the plant life. It's an incredible way to make any rainy day fun, with something at the end to keep that kids love.

With Easter fast approaching, your kids can still have an exciting Easter egg hunt even with limited outdoor space. Have your own Easter egg hunt and keep up the seasonal tradition, getting creative with all the many places to hide the eggs. Your kids will love exploring the house to see if they can find all of the chocolate eggs and treats. To make it even more fun and challenging for them, why not turn it into a scavenger hunt as well? Create a list of everything your kids should be searching for and how many, make clues for them and make sure you have a chocolatey surprise ready for whoever collects all of their eggs first. To make the day even more special, you could always have a go at getting creative in the kitchen with the little ones and make your own Easter eggs to hide on the day. Some ideas and recipes can be found here.

Obstacle courses don't have to be just for outdoor playing. You can transform your living room into your kid's very own much fun obstacle course to make a fun and active outdoor experience inside. Place different objects around the room such as boxes, cushions, and cuddly toys so your kids can let off some steam by running, jumping and leaping over the obstacles you've set in position. Using sofa cushions and duvets as a crash landing surface will make sure there are no scrapes and bumps to be had along the way. Add some different games into the mix such as mini competitions, or agility trials, but make sure there are prizes ready to hand as a reward for all the efforts.

There's no better way to spend an evening than watching a favourite film as a family. Yet this can be made all the more fun by turning it into a themed film night. You and your kids can all dress up as your favourite characters from the film, and even have a costume competition to make it even more exciting. Themed snacks and goodies that you know your kids love are another way to make the night extra special. Spend the day creating costumes and baking and decorating treats to get your little ones even more enthusiastic for the evening. One fun idea is a Jungle Book themed night, and if you've had a go at making an indoor garden, it will really make you and your kids feel like you're sitting among the animals.

In the true spirit of Easter, why not have a go at decorating an indoor tree with Easter themed goodies? All you need is a small indoor tree or plant, some eggshells and string to transform them into fun and vibrant Easter decorations. If you don't have any eggs, you can make egg shaped objects using coloured card, punching holes in the top and attaching string to hang from your branches. Use masking tape to fix your decorations in place and make sure to have many coloured pens and crayons to hand to make your crafts extra bright and festive. You could even have a creative Easter decoration competition with a chocolate egg prize to be won.

Despite zoos and wildlife centres being temporarily closed, it doesn't mean your little outdoor explorers can have any less fun from home. Many zoos are opening their doors to an online audience and sharing live streamed footage from some of their most beloved exhibits. Edinburgh Zoo is one park to be doing so, allowing your kids to see and get up close to some of their favourite animals from wherever they are. Check out the different enclosures at varying times of the day and you may even be lucky enough to see feeding time. The zoo has around 4000 animals to continue to look after during lockdown so there's more than enough to see. Check it out here.

Chester Zoo is also streaming their animals daily activities from their Facebook page, where they are even hosting virtual zoo days as one of many indoor activities for kids. Engage your little one's curious minds with Chester Zoo's many learning resources available online on their website here. From animal mask creating to animal themed quizzes there's plenty of wildlife inspired fun to be had from just your living room.

Storytelling can be brought alive by making a den inside with your little ones. Grab all your pillows, duvets and bed sheets to make a hidden world that all your family can sit in. Listen to the sounds of a rainy day from inside the den as a perfect way to relax and read with your kids. Let them choose their favourite stories to read to them, and allow them to imagine different worlds existing outside of the den walls. Fairy lights and hot chocolate will make the den feel even more cosy and comforting for your little ones to unwind in after a busy day.

Last but not least, we can't forget the many fun filled hours to be had with one of your families' favourite board games. There's nothing better than snuggling down and playing one of the board games from the cupboard. Choose a cosy spot, grab a mug of hot chocolate and be sure to keep tabs of who's winning. For games that don't even need a board, why not try Charades or Pictionary? Pens and paper are all that's necessary for these indoor delights, and with people more often than not looking a little bit silly when acting out the words, laughter is most definitely guaranteed.

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If you enjoyed this article, take a look at our articles on how to plan the ultimate lockdown sleepover and how to go camping indoors for fun and original lockdown entertainment!